Christmas Baking - Dark Rum Brownies Recipe

I started Christmas baking yesteday (Sunday).  I made seven dozen mini butter pecan tarts and a 10 by 13 inch pan of dark rum brownies. I love, love rolling pastry on my granite counter top. It is so smooth and cold, just a real pleasure to work on.

 Look at those cute, tiny shells.

 Butter, raisins, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and pecans.

  My cookie cutter makes such cute little tart shells. 

 

Dark chocolate rum brownies.

These brownies are decadent. Recipe:

• 6 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup butter
• 6 eggs
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup dark rum or orange juice
• 2 and 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups walnuts or pecans

Melt chocolate and butter, beat eggs and sugar until light and creamy.  Add chocolate mixture, vanilla and rum.  Mix well.  Combine dry ingredients, stir into batter.  Stir in nuts.  Spread evenly into two 9 inch square pans or one 10 by 15 inch pan.  Bake at 350˚ for 35 minutes.  I have made these brownies for years it is always a crapshoot on how long to bake them until December 2016, when I found the toothpick test online.

Glaze:

• 6 squares dark bittersweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 tablespoon butter

Melt chocolate, in separate container boil butter and cream.  Mix the two together until chocolate is completely blended in and shinny.

Bon a pétite!  Still to bake are petite cherry cheesecakes and perhaps a Créme de menthe cheese cake.  Also on the menu for my vegetarian son and daughter-in-law are cabbage rolls and brocoli quiche.

Dear readers, do you make special yummy treats for Christmas? Any favourite recipes you are willing to share?